by USA TODAY Sports, USATODAY

by USA TODAY Sports, USATODAY

The brother-in-law of six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was killed in a Sunday skydiving accident, TV stations in San Diego reported Monday.

Jordan Janway, 27, was a skydiving instructor with more than 1,000 jumps of experience, the website of KNSD-TV said. The report said Janway apparently collided with another skydiver in midair while practicing a maneuver and was knocked unconscious, leaving him unable to open his parachute.

The accident happened Sunday around 4:30 p.m. Pacific, which would have come several hours after Johnson finished second at Martinsville Speedway.

Janway was the younger brother of Johnson's wife, Chandra. The couple acknowledged Janway's death in a post on JimmieJohnson.com.

"The Johnsons are saddened by the tragic passing of Chandra's brother, Jordan Janway, 27," the post said. "Jordan was an incredible son, brother, uncle and friend and will be dearly missed. Please keep the Janway family in your thoughts and prayers. The family asks for privacy at this time."

The owner of Skydive San Diego, which employed Janway, said a chip, which would have automatically deployed the chute in the event of emergency, was undergoing maintenance and not in the skydiver's parachute on Sunday.

But because Janway had more than 1,000 jumps, KNSD reported he was not required to jump with the chip and elected to go without it.